The Fall session of parliament has started and not without surprise and action.

Parliamentary fall session

Vancouver's Punjabi source OMNI BC TV 8:00 PM South Asian Todayreports:Cross-cultural translation: The fall session of Parliament started with a surprise floor crossing when MP Leona Alleslev said she is withdrawing from the government benches to take her seat with her Conservative colleagues. She said she felt she was not doing everything she can to serve her country and work for real change. She is a former Air Force captain. She said her attempts to raise concerns with this government were met with silence. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the prime minister's biggest failure was the Trans Mountain pipeline. The courts ruled that he failed the due process, and the prime minister seemed to have no plan to restart the process. Scheer wondered whether Trudeau understands that his failure are hurting Canadians all over the country. Trudeau highlighted that over 500,000 jobs had been created and that unemployment was at historically low levels. The Tories and NDP also criticized the government over its NAFTA negotiating performance, saying that Trudeau has ticked a lot of people off. (17/09/2018)

Photo by the Globe and Mail. Leona Alleslev among Conservative politicians.

Liberals keen to pass bill to advance CPTPP amid NAFTA uncertainty

Filipino source the Philippine Canadian Inquirer reports:Cross-cultural translation: Federal Opposition parties are preparing their ammunition for a fall session of Parliament aimed at attacking the Trudeau government’s record on pipelines, trade and promises to make the middle class rich as the opening act in the year-long countdown to the 2019 election. Government House Leader Bardish Chagger says that the government is focused on getting key pieces of legislation passed before heading to the polls. The Liberals are particularly keen to move quickly on bill C-79 — a bill to implement the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Meanwhile, opposition parties are planning to use the fall session as the unofficial launch of the October 2019 election campaign, with plans to highlight political and policy files they believe will erode support for the governing Liberals. “Justin Trudeau has had a rough summer,” said Brock Harrison, director of media relations for Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. “The Trans Mountain Pipeline is stuck in limbo, the crisis at the border continues to cause delays and cost millions, his carbon tax coalition is in shambles and his ministers can’t stop breaking ethics laws. We will be focused on reminding Canadians that Justin Trudeau has failed on the big issues and making sure he is held accountable for it.” (16/09/2018)

Scheer still needs to work hard to challenge Trudeau

Punjabi source CIAO AM 530 Frontline Radio in Toronto reports: Cross-cultural translation: Ontario MP Leona Alleslev has left the Liberal caucus to sit with the federal Conservatives. The Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MP was first elected in 2015. A retired captain with the Royal Canadian Air Force and former senior manager in the Department of National Defence, Alleslev will serve as Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer's critic for global security. She was not happy with the Trudeau government’s policies on defence, trade, the economy, and foreign affairs. With the joining of Alleslev, Scheer has a golden opportunity to lift his party, however, he still needs to work hard to challenge Trudeau, said the program host. (18/09/2018)